


A Path of His Own

by ReaperZ



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Multi - Freeform, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-18 00:33:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/873682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaperZ/pseuds/ReaperZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A private will from Sirius has Harry determined to step out from under Dumbledore's shadow and set out to face Voldemort on his own terms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Emancipation

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fic of mine originally posted on FF.net, but since it's likely to be taken down for the smut in it, I'll be reposting it here. I had about seven chapters up and the eighth chapter done but I'll likely be going back and re-working parts of the fic I'm not happy with.
> 
> Updates are likely to be quite slow since I am currently enlisted in the military as part of compulsory National Service for all males in my country. They will come as soon as humanly possible given my limited time on weekends and PMs asking me about when the next chapter is coming will be unanswered.
> 
> Finally, I hope you enjoy this fic. and do leave comments letting me know what you think.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins.

_A flash of green light and a red-haired woman in front of him fell. A flash of green light and a young boy just a few older than he was fell. A flash of green light and a raven-haired man fell through an archway._

Harry Potter awoke in his bed at 4 Privet Drive. The memories of those who had died in front of his eyes haunted his dreams in the past week he had returned from Hogwarts. He had not left his room except when his hunger became too unbearable and every fiber of his body protested. The Dursleys had not checked on him at all, though the lack of his presence in the house often went unquestioned. The young wizard rose from his bed and headed to the bathroom to wash his face. With every step he took, the flash of green flashed before him again. If Voldemort had attempted a killing curse right there and then, Harry would have been none the wiser except for the sudden stopping of his heart.

Why had he insisted on going to the Department of Mysteries? He was an idiot for thinking Snape would have revealed anything to Umbridge in his presence and should have waited. He was an idiot for not mastering Occlumency. _That wasn't your fault, was it? Snape wasn't even bothering to help you learn it properly! Dumbledore hadn't even bothered to check on your progress. Where was he the past year? The only time he talked with you properly was when he told about the prophecy._ A voice in his head raged as it looked for someone else to blame. _Speaking of which, the old fool knew all along! He knew, for the past fifteen years of your life, you had to be the one to kill Voldemort. Did he teach you to fight the most powerful Dark Lord of the last century? No, you attended lessons as per normal. As if any lesson in Hogwarts would have taught you to fight Voldemort in a duel!_

Harry shook his heads as he shoved the traitorous thoughts out of his head. Was Voldemort trying to sow seeds of doubt in his mind once again? He returned to his room, lying on his bed in a vain attempt to get some sleep. A flutter of wings announced an owl's arrival. Harry rose from his bed, and took the letter that was attached to its leg. He flipped it over and saw the Gringotts seal. Why would they send him a letter?

_Dear Mister Potter,_

_You have my condolences for the passing of one Lord Sirius Orion Black, last remaining heir of the House of Black. After the announcement of his death and the following acquittal of all charges held against him, the Black vault had once again been released, and according to Sirius' last will and testament, you are hereby requested to come to Gringotts at the earliest possible convenience._

_Lord Black has left some very specific instructions in his will, and as per his final instructions, the will is to be read to you and you alone before the rest of the beneficiaries are contacted. He has also informed us of the possibility that you will be under watch at the location of your current residence, and hence we have provided a portkey set to activate on "Padfoot"._

_Regards_  
Ragnok  
Head of Gringotts Bank, London Branch

Harry blinked at the letter, hoping he was wide awake and not hallucinating from the abuse he had inflicted on his body the past week. Deciding that the only way to find out was to use the portkey, Harry took the ring enclosed in the letter and whispered, "Padfoot", realizing too late he might have just walked into a trap.

Landing painfully on the black marble floors of Gringotts silenced his concerns as a goblin stood in front of him as if fully expect Harry to land at the very spot he had. With a quick motion the goblin signaled Harry to follow him, choosing not to comment on the wizard's choice of wardrobe. Realizing this, the young boy was about to open his mouth to request for a cloak or something to cover himself with, when the goblin tossed one his way. Wondering if goblins could use Legilimency, Harry stepped into a large oval office where two goblins stood guard in full suits of armor by the door, and a very authoritative figure sat at a desk on the opposite side. Taking a seat at the desk, Harry wondered if there was some goblin formality he had just ignored.

"There is no need to fear a lack of etiquette, Mister Potter, we are well aware that most wizards who grew up in the Muggle world are often ignorant of cultures of magical races. Though, the fiercest of my kind might argue, is no different from the treatment most wizards show to us goblins." Ragnok answered in response to Harry's expression. Once again the teenage boy wondered if all goblins were born Legilimens.

"I do apologize for rousing you in the dead of night, although your godfather had explicitly requested us to do so. I have here his last will and testament." Ragnok passed Harry a pile of parchment, which was entirely blank. Harry looked at the goblin quizzically before Ragnok continued, "Lord Black placed a safety phrase on the parchment should anyone other than you arrive to read the will. I am to simply tell you 'Marauder' and leave you to figure out the phrase on your own."

Without missing a beat, Harry knew exactly what to say. " _I solemnly swear I am up to no good._ " Immediately ink filled the parchment as Sirius' will revealed itself. His voice spoke from the parchment, taking Harry by surprise.

 _I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and body, declare this to be my last will and testament. If you're reading this, Harry, then I am sorry to have to leave you to face Voldemort alone, although I hope that you might be reading this after my body was discovered in bed with two young witches at the ripe old age of eighty, and simply forgot to make changes to this will._ Harry chuckled a little, hearing Sirius joke like that again was a welcome relief after a week of grieving. Only Sirius Black could make something like his death a joke and make a comedy out of a will reading.

_I hereby leave Harry James Potter all of the Black family possessions and declare him to be my rightful heir as head of House Black, which aside from your immediate emancipation when you turn sixteen means little else. While I know you would rather have me back than anything I could possibly give, it's all I have to offer. I also leave to you my motorbike and my album of photos with James and Lily. They're in my room at Grimmauld Place under my bed._

_I have indicated several other beneficiaries in my will, and I leave it up to your discretion when they are to be notified, along with any additional requests or instructions you would like to make of the goblins before they carry it out. You will know my reason for doing so at the end of the will._

_To Remus Lupin, the last surviving Marauder and the one man I always wished I could have done something for, I leave a hundred thousand Galleons and a property owned by the Black House of his choosing. It is my sincere wish that he may finally have a place to call home and live in peace unbothered by his condition. This comes with the condition, that you, Moony, get married to a witch and have kids! For goodness sake it's about time, you self-pity git, to realize that out there in the world somewhere is a witch who is perfectly happy to be in love with a werewolf and be married to him. Never let your afflictions stay in the way of your happiness. Harry, if and when the war is over, I hold you responsible for ensuring Lupin gets settled down to a life of his own. You have my permission to use the Imperius or Cruciatus Curse to force him to do so and should the Ministry come after you please keep a copy of this will and shove it up their sodding noses._

_To my niece Nymphadora Tonks, who can no longer do anything about my use of her first name, I leave a hundred thousand Galleons and hereby restore her family back to their rightful branch on the Black family tree. It is my hope that she and her family will show Harry the warmth of a loving home he never had._

_To Arthur and Molly Weasley, I leave fifty thousand Galleons. No, you may not refuse this sum. It is my token of gratitude and appreciation for taking care of Harry when and where I could not. I am sure Lily and James would both thank you greatly for the joy you've brought to their son as well. My only condition is that Harry may find a second home with the Weasleys which I am sure is more than agreeable to all of you._

_To Fred and George Weasley, I leave ten thousand Galleons and all the notes of the Marauders in my possession. Should the war not be over when this will is read, then let it be known to them that I am entrusting them the task of making sure people will still have a reason to laugh and find what levity they can in these dark times. If the war is over, well, sod it, we could all do a few laughs whatever the season of the year is._

_To Ronald Weasley, I leave ten thousand Galleons. Though I sincerely believe that one cannot put a price on friendship, I am sure Harry will agree that this sum does not do justice to how much of a friend you've been to him the past few years, but I am sure your mother would raise me from the dead just to have a few words with me if I ever gave you anything more. Remember that wealth and fame can never buy one a loyal friend. James, Remus and I would have buried bodies for each other, hence we chose our company wisely, save for a certain rat. I would have gladly fought at James' side on the night he and Lily died, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I hope your friendship with Harry will be the same._

_To Hermione Granger, I leave ten thousand Galleons and all the books in the Black library in the basement of 12 Grimmauld Place. I'm pretty sure if I left the books to Harry they'll never see the light of day again, so I leave them to you and hope that you will enjoy discovering new knowledge within their pages. That is, of course, unless they are on the top shelf or in a hidden corner, in which case the books are either Dark or not suitable for minors and I suggest you don't touch them. Torch them if you wish. Once again, your friendship to Harry is worth more than is within my ability to give. Cherish every moment you have together, as I did with James, Remus and Lily. You will face death together, but know that with your last breath comes only an eternity to spend together with the ones you love. I thank both you and Ron for sticking with Harry thus far and should he ever choose to leave you alone so you won't be in danger (as his father often did while fighting Voldemort!) please make sure that you will be there beside him even if you have to place a Body Bind on every professor in Hogwarts and break every rule to do so. Hermione, don't roll your eyes and Dumbledore, if you're listening, well, sod it._

_To Narcissa Malfoy, I leave five thousand Galleons under the condition that she renounce Voldemort under oath and reject her Dark Mark. Additionally, she must renounce her marriage to Lucius Malfoy whom I am sure would never agree to the above terms anyway. I hereby leave the right to reject or deny this request to the new Lord Black._

_To Draco Malfoy, while I am sorely tempted to simply leave you a Knut and instruct the goblins to insert it up your rectum with a Permanent Sticking Charm, it would not be fair to your mother for me to offer her a way out of the life she has found herself in and not do the same for her son. Renounce the Dark Lord and never take up the Dark Mark, and you will be left the same amount as your mother to be held in trust until you come of age. Should you attempt to take the gold and join Voldemort later, however, the inheritance is considered null and void. I am sure that Harry would not even need me to instruct him to make your life excruciatingly painful for such an act as well._

_Signed,_  
Sirius Orion Black  
Former Head of House Black

The will ended there, but Ragnok gestured for Harry to lift up the first piece of the parchment, under which was a second piece which was now filling with ink.

_This second half of my will is addressed directly to you, Harry, and will not be read to anyone else. While it pains me to have to write this and that you have to find out such information shortly after my death, I fear that I must do so for your well-being._

_Fifteen years ago, when Voldemort killed your parents, I was supposed to be your guardian. Should the Death Eaters have gotten to me, Lupin would have become next in line to care for you. Dumbledore, however, convinced me that your parents had decided to leave you in his care and that he had put measures in place to ensure your safety till were of age, as he was certain Voldemort would return._

_You know by now that I hunted Peter Pettigrew down and was locked away in Azkaban for a crime I did not commit. I am afraid I must apologize for being so rash and not ensuring you were safe first. This is where I am afraid the shattering of your world begins. I always believed Dumbledore could not arrange for me to be tried by the Wizengamot because there was no evidence to absolve me and Peter Pettigrew was still at large. In the few years I was free, however, I soon learned the truth. He had simply wanted me out of the way because I would never have stood for leaving you with your aunt for fifteen years of abuse at their hands. Lupin was convinced by Dumbledore that it was the only way to keep you safe, and while he would have fought Dumbledore as fiercely as I did, he let his rational side win._

_While Lupin met you in your third year, however, it was apparent enough to both of us that Dumbledore had meddled in your life further than was reasonable and justifiable. Lupin detected magical blocks on you placed by Dumbledore, and while the Headmaster assured him that it was only to ensure your magic could develop at a more natural pace, our trust in him was shattered when your fifteen years old and still had those blocks placed on you. We confronted Dumbledore only to be told that it was because it had to be you who killed Voldemort. We could kill him a thousand times and he would never truly be slain unless you were the one to do it. Before that, however, were things that needed to be done before he could truly be defeated by you._

_Still, it doesn't explain why he didn't simply train you to fight him and win. It doesn't explain why you're well into your fifth year and Hogwarts but still have a block limiting your abilities. Dumbledore has Lupin out courting the werewolves while I am stuck in Grimmauld Place to ensure my safety. At times we wonder if he's not simply trying to keep us from discovering the truth._

_Dumbledore may have the best of intentions to keep you safe, neither Remus nor I doubt that fact. We disagree with his methods. Voldemort got to your parents even though they were well protected, and no matter how infallible he thinks his plan is, you'll have to learn to fight him someday. I doubt he would tell you anything if you confronted him. My only advice is to handle things the Marauder way – on your own terms._

_If you can, forge a path of your own. Let no one tell you what you should be doing unless they're the ones you trust to hold a knife to your throat and not draw a drop of blood. Your parents died because they trusted the wrong man. I would be doing them a great disservice if I did not warn you about the same._

_With love  
Padfoot_

Anger welled up in Harry's heart as he heard Sirius' confession. It all made sense, now, Harry realized. The reason why he had managed to get past all the defense around the Philosopher's Stone in his first year, why Dumbledore had not done more to prepare him after Riddle's return in his fourth year. A knot clenched in his stomach as the realization dawned on him that Dumbledore might have very allowed Sirius to fall at the Department of Mysteries in order to keep his secret. Lupin had his doubts but since he was kept so far away from Harry, presented no threat.

The young wizard decided that he would do as Sirius suggest, to find a way ahead himself and damn the consequences. "Thank you, Ragnok. If there is nothing else…" Harry's voice trailed off as he found his anger spilling out towards the goblin, and silenced himself before he did something he'd regret. He remembered Hagrid's words to him the first time he stepped into Gringotts.

"Aside from the time and manner in which the other beneficiaries listed here will be informed, if you'd like, we could help you remove the magic blocks placed upon you."

Harry was surprised. "I was under the impression goblins did not offer generosity to wizards in general."

Ragnok nodded. "We don't. We do, however, remember what it was like years ago when the Dark Lord was in power. We would be mere animals should he come to power. Helping you benefits us as well. I cannot say this is entirely goodwill on my part. We are not helping Wizardkind, _Lord Black_ , we are aiding _you_."

Ragnok produced another stack of papers. "These are the papers of emancipation your godfather mentioned. I am sure Albus Dumbledore would attempt to stop you from signing them, but unfortunately he is not present to do so." Harry took a quill and signed along the paper.

"With that, you are now both heir to the House of Black and Potter. Your parents did leave a will, though they stipulated that you would be left everything they had. Now that you are of age, however, you have free access to the Potter vault as well." Ragnok produced two keys and passed them to Harry. "We will also not inform Dumbledore of any transfers you make to either vault any longer."

"Meaning…" Harry's voice was shaking with anger.

"Yes, I am afraid he has been keeping track of your finances all this time, though we first thought he was simply holding it in trust. After hearing Sirius Black's will, however, we have deemed him to have abused that trust and will henceforth keep him out of the loop." Ragnok replied with a nod. "If you will follow me this way, Lord Potter-Black, we can bring you to the chamber where we shall help remove the blocks."

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later Harry stood in a circular room. Though he lacked any knowledge of architecture, he had the impression that the room was built much like a magical bunker of sorts. The door he had passed through to enter the chamber was extremely thicker, even thicker than the doors at Hogwarts, and he wasn't sure how thick the walls were, though it was not unlikely that the goblins had simply built the room in the middle of thick rock layers.

A familiar looking goblin walked in as Harry continued to pace the room, nervous at what the ritual entailed. "You're Griphook, aren't you?" Harry asked. "You were…"

"The one who showed you to the vault the first time you came into our halls, yes." Griphook replied. "I am the one responsible for the Potter vault before you came of age. Ragnok has informed me of what transpired and his promise of aid to you. I must admit I am surprised. He does not offer help to wizards easily, not even if they are supposed to stop Dark Lords." Griphook walked up to Harry and produced a small bag. "This is a coin pouch. It is keyed to respond you and you alone. Should you require gold, simply concentrate on the amount you need and it will appear within the pouch. Of course, the same amount will be taken from your vaults. For now it will only draw from the Potter vault, just to avoid any suspicion should Dumbledore look at the Black vaults. I take it you will be absent at the official will reading and that you would want him ignorant of this morning's events for as long as possible?" The young wizard nodded, prompting Griphook to produce two books. "This is the official records of all finances in the Potter and Black vaults, which only you will have access to, or anyone in your House should you grant them authority to do so. The second copy is one we will show to Dumbledore which will not reflect any spending outside of what you normally use for school supplies."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the extent to which the goblins had planned the whole deception. "It is not the first time we helped clients evade prying eyes, though you are the first in a very long time to be offered such services at no cost." Griphook answered his unasked question. "Now, there is something that Ragnok would like me to convey to you."

"Your mother apparently left some very specific instructions in her will which was made known only to Ragnok. Apparently she managed to befriend him, which is saying something for a witch, especially so if it is the leader of the goblin nation." Ignoring the young boy's look of surprise, Griphook continued. "Your mother had left a journal in the Potter vault addressed to you. It was stipulated in the will that you would come into possession of it once you were of age. I shall retrieve on your behalf and deliver it to you here once the ritual is completed. Speaking of which, do you need me to explain the ritual?"

Harry nodded again, both to indicate he understood Griphook's instructions and to ask the goblin to continue. "Magic blocks work much like ancient curses placed on tombs or ruins, keeping magic in check over time. The main difference is that most magic blocks are placed with age or time limits. This allows children with exceptionally powerful magical cores to grow safely without endangering themselves with bouts of uncontrolled accidental magic, as well as the transport and imprisonment of dangerous criminals to Azkaban preventing them from attempting to escape. Now, the ritual we are about to perform is normally used by Curse Breakers to safely disarm magical traps and ancient curses safely. They can then channel the magic elsewhere or release it in controlled amounts so that no one gets injured."

"One of our Curse Breakers will be by shortly to conduct the ritual. Firstly, magic blocks are usually removed after a stipulated time or when the subject comes to a certain age, or when the person who placed the block removes it of their own volition. Failing that, one would normally go to St Mungo's to have the blocks removed by a healer. Of course, we do not have that luxury since there will be paperwork involved and there is always the issue of keeping the healer silent. A Curse Breaker can do the same ritual since it is not much different from their work, but since this is not their usual scope of work you must understand the risks involved, which is why you are now in this chamber instead of Ragnok's office."

"The ritual itself does not take too long, but in the interest of ensuring you are able to return home without arousing suspicion as soon as possible Ragnok has allowed the use of this room. There is also the possibility that your magic may end up exploding out, and with the amount of secrecy we are trying to keep, this is best place to do so without anyone outside detecting anything out of the ordinary."

Harry nodded, unsure if all this information would last past the ritual's completion. Griphook made to leave the room, which puzzled Harry. The goblin chuckled knowing what Harry was about to ask.

"Mister Potter, I am a banker, not a Curse Breaker." He left the room and Harry could see him waving someone in. The Curse Breaker conducting the ritual walked in and Harry did a double take. Either the goblins were pulling a prank on him, or fate had a very strange sense of humor. He stared the blond witch in front of him.

"Fleur?"

An equally surprised French witch stared at the raven-haired wizard before her. "Harry?"


	2. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fleur removes Harry's blocks, starts his training on Occlumency, and Tonks joins the party.

Fleur looked surprised just as much as Harry was. It looked like both Ragnok and Griphook had not told her anything at all about what had transpired. He understood it to be leaving the choice in his hands, as they clearly did not wish more people to know the whole story than was necessary.

"Harry?" Fleur asked, as if there could be some other raven-haired boy with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, who also happened to know her name. She blinked a few times wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. Harry chuckled a little at the witch's surprise.

"I suppose you know another wizard who looks exactly like me?" Harry chuckled a little at his joke. "What happened to your accent?"

Fleur decided that this was not some elaborate trick and answered his question. "I've been taking lessons, though I did exaggerate my accent while I was at your school. I thought the boys would find it cute."

Harry grinned a little knowing that the snob he had met two years ago was every bit as insecure as he was during that year. "I see. Well, you never needed to do such a thing, Fleur. You're beautiful the way you are." He had not meant it as more than an honest assurance to her doubts, but noticing her blush realized how open to misinterpretation his words were. Before he could clarify, however, Fleur decided to hide her embarrassment by focusing on the task at hand.

"I was only told to come here and help whoever was in here to remove magic blocks placed on them. I suppose you wish this to be discreet?" Fleur asked. Harry nodded and the witch continued. "Then no one shall hear anything from me."

Thanking the goblins silently for their discretion, Harry smiled and accepted her promise. Fleur then began casting a spell with her wand, and a silver circle was drawn on the floor. The young wizard didn't miss a beat as he stepped into its center and Fleur grinned at his quick response. "You are much more confident than the boy who competed against me two years ago. You've grown too." Harry smiled at the compliment, but answered with a tone of regret in his voice. "Certain events have forced me to grow up." Fleur knew about Cedric's death, and remembering that it was Harry himself who brought the body back nodded silently. She simply motioned for him to sit down, which he did.

"You will begin to feel drowsy. Just close your eyes and follow the pull of the magic. You will be pulled towards your core, and while I remove the blocks I need to try and keep your magic under control. We don't know how much of your magic was restrained, so if it is too much to hold back let it out in small bursts. The circle will absorb most of it and let it bleed away. You will feel drained after the ritual is complete. Stay seated while you wake up. I will stay with you." Harry was already beginning to feel the spell take hold, and simply grunted his acknowledgement as his mind descended into darkness.

He awoke to a large labyrinth like structure, much like the maze he had to navigate in his final task. He took a tentative step forward, unsure if it was meant to go. As his foot landed on the ground, however, he felt a force beckoning him forward. Deciding that it was the pull Fleur had described, he simply walked towards the unknown force, changing directions only when he felt the pull weaken. Despite being an empty void devoid of light, Harry saw the walls clear and walked through the darkness as if he knew exactly where everything was. He noticed that the walls seemed to crumbling as cracks began to appear. Unsure if he would be safe, Harry hastened his pace until a large iron gate blocked his way. He tried to open it, but the gate refused to budge even after Harry pressed his whole weight against it. The walls were continuing to crumble, although the rest of the maze behind the gate seemed to remain intact. The gate suddenly disappeared as a large wave of silvery liquid rushed towards him.

 _Is this… my magic?_ Harry wondered as he commanded the wave to stop, wondering if it was the right thing to do. His head began to pound as he realized there was a lot more magic than he could hold back and thus willed the silver ocean in front of him to slow its flow. He released the front of the wave and felt it rush past him and fade into the blackness. Repeating the process until all that was left was a silver river that layered the path at ankle height; Harry let the rest of it flow calmly away. He continued down the path as the walls continued to weaken. They seemed to be deteriorating faster now, and entire sections would disappear every now and then, allowing Harry to simply travel in a straight line a good distance before he was forced to turn. A second gate blocked his path once again, Harry waited for it to disappear just like the first one. Remembering the sea of magic gushing from before, he wondered if he could command his magic before the gate disappeared, allowing him to better release the magic in bursts.

Nothing responded to him from beyond gate. Puzzled, Harry examined the gate and realized the labyrinth was the magical block, while the gates were the holding his magic suppressed. He waited patiently before the gate swung open and the silver sea came raging again. The torrent of silvery water seemed to be even greater in volume and velocity than before, and Harry found himself having to release larger bursts of his magic in order to keep it from overwhelming him. He was unsure if he could drown in his own magic, but he reminded himself that Fleur would be the one receiving the full blast of his magic if he could not keep it restrained. Once his magic had calmed back down to the same level as before, Harry decided to let it flow free on its own and walked past the second gate.

There were no more walls, this time, only a lush forest. Wondering if he would be able to find a way out if he was lost, Harry continued walking to where he felt the pull was the strongest. He arrived at the edge of a cliff, where a great waterfall stood. The flow of the water was held in check by a huge wall of rock at the bottom, serving as a giant dam. Harry watched as the rocks began to tumble away and leave holes in the dam, allowing his magic to flow once again. _Fleur must be removing this block at a slower pace. Is she tired or just being safe?_ Harry wondered as he tried his best to keep the flow of magic under control. He knew that dams were easily compromised once there was a single breach, and the water flow would soon enlarge it until the entire dam collapsed and huge crashing torrent would race down the river and destroy any settlements along the bank. Certain that the same would happen unless he held his magic at bay, Harry slowed down the gush of his magic until the rock wall disappeared entirely and his magic was flowing gently once more. He felt a jerk as a new force seemed to pull him upwards until he surfaced from the deepest recesses of his magical core and awoke to find Fleur smiling at him, panting heavily.

" _Three_ layers of blocks? Harry, whoever placed them was terribly afraid of your power. Most wizards would only place one." Fleur managed through her deep breaths. Harry felt his head spinning and stayed on the floor. "That was far more tiring than I thought it would be."

Harry chuckled. "So, since we're both winded, why don't we use this time to simply catch up?"

They spent the next hour recuperating as Fleur recounted her work as a Curse Breaker after she had graduated from Beauxbatons, and Harry told her about his fifth year and everything that transpired, including Sirius' death and what he was doing in Gringotts at such an ungodly hour. He had left out the prophecy as he did not wish to scare her, at least not until she was ready. Fleur was quite livid once Harry was done talking.

"How did all this go unnoticed? In France he would be arrested, regardless of past glories!" Fleur ranted as Harry found himself thinking about how attractive she looked even while angry. Giving himself a mental slap and cursing his raging hormones, he replied flatly. "Well, the Minister here seems quite content to bury his head in the sand. If he's denying Voldemort's return despite recent events, I'm sure someone like Dumbledore would be able to hide all this from him. He's the great symbol of light to Britain, not many people would think otherwise of him. I certainly did not until just a little more than an hour ago."

"Well, thank you for sharing this with me, Harry." Fleur smiled once more, and nodding at Griphook as the goblin entered with a leather-bound journal in his hands.

"Mister Potter, here is the journal your mother left you. Now, I should inform you that you are now in possession of a rather substantial amount of gold, along with stocks in several businesses in the magical world. Should I consolidate all of them for you?"

"That would be great, Griphook. Though try to keep it simple because I haven't the foggiest clue how to run a business."

"I believe Ragnok has been handling the finer points of the investments personally, including thwarting attempts by the Minister to seize the Potters' assets."

Harry's anger came back with a vengeance. "That man has been trying to get at my parents' gold?"

"Cornelius Fudge is guilty of many things, Harry. He is blinded by power and wealth. He enjoys the benefits of his office while shouldering none of the burdens. Much the opposite of your parents, I must say. You've obviously heard rumors of Death Eaters bribing their way out of Azkaban." Ragnok's voice joined Griphook's as he entered the chamber. He gave a gentle smile, or what resembled such a thing for a goblin, to Harry. "We have quite the number of documents here to put him in a rather uncompromising position. He has tried to take away some of that power from us during his term in office. If you are going to fight this war, Mister Potter, I suggest replacing him with someone more willing to fight the war alongside you."

"It's Harry, to both of you, please. Are you suggesting I stage a coup against Fudge?"

Ragnok's smile was more menacing at this. "We have the evidence, but not the position to back things up. You have the position but not the evidence. I would not attempt to convince you Gringotts would not benefit from Fudge's removal, but I offer you this only because you are prepared to do what is necessary. I've seen that much in your eyes tonight."

Turning to Fleur, Ragnok's voice was instantly replaced with authority. "Miss Delacour, I hope you understand the sensitivity of the information you are privy to, and will repeat it to no one. Is that understood?"

The French witch nodded her head and replied, "Of course, Director."

Ragnok nodded his acknowledgement. "Very well, then I suppose I can entrust you with keeping watch over him while he is here? Both Griphook and I have other duties as well, and will be unable to accompany him all the time while he is here. As of this moment you are placed on a period of recuperation after sustaining some injuries on a prior task, and will be out of contact while you visit your family during the period of recuperation." The blonde nodded once again.

"Ragnok, if I may?" Fleur spoke, addressing the goblin. A wave of his hand told Fleur she had permission to speak her mind. "All this secrecy is unlikely to hold for long if a Legilimens should try to poke into Harry's mind. As a Curse Breaker I am trained in Occlumency, and I doubt anyone would try it on you or Griphook, but I am certain Harry is unable to do so. He told me exactly what he found out this morning and I would not put it past his Headmaster to use Legilimency on Harry. Even if he does not know Harry has been warned of his godfather's concerns, he may well discover the information by accident."

Ragnok looked at the witch, with an expression that told Harry the goblin was both impressed by Fleur's assessment and annoyed that she had caught something he missed. "Very well, then I shall place you in charge of teaching him Occlumency. I see no need to involve any one else outside of the four of us."

"It will be my pleasure." Fleur agreed with a smile at Harry.

"That is all for now, Griphook, Miss Delacour. Harry, if I may have a word with you in private before you leave?"

Harry stayed behind as the Griphook and Fleur left the room. "The late Lord Black's will be read to the parties mentioned in three days' time. I am sure Dumbledore would ask you not to come, but if you wish I can arrange for you to be present but hidden."

"Sure, thanks a lot Ragnok, for everything." Harry replied. Remembering the contents of the will, he continued. "Though could you arrange for Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange to be notified at a later date? I don't want to risk my friends getting hurt. Also, they are not to be told the contents of the will other than what relates to them. You may inform them of who succeeded Sirius as Head of the House of Black, but nothing else." Ragnok nodded, agreeing that it was prudent to do so.

"Ragnok, may I ask you something?" Harry asked, realizing just how ignorant of goblin customs he was. Fleur had spoken with a lot more formality. Ragnok sensed Harry's discomfort and simply waved off his doubts.

"You are one of the few wizards who actually bother about knowing our customs, and I would not hold something so trivial against you. Not when I owe your mother much."

"That's what I wanted to ask… Griphook told me you were friends with my mother, and I was wondering…"

"What happened for a witch to earn a goblin's trust?" Ragnok completed Harry's question for him. "She saved my life years ago, when Voldemort first rose to power. The Dark Lord demanded I relinquish all control of Britain's gold over to him. His followers came to attack Gringotts when I refused, and your mother saved my life and healed my injuries when most wizards would have left me to die and saved themselves. Your father was quite the fighter that night as well; he managed to keep five Death Eaters at bay while your mother got me to safety. They did not deserve their fate."

"I see a lot of them in you. Aside from physical resemblances, of course, which I am sure you are tired of hearing about." Ragnok managed to make his smile look less threatening this time, much to Harry's amusement. "Now their son walks in and requires help in finishing the work his parents started. I would be ungrateful, to say the least, to do anything less than offer him all the help I can give. We goblins believe all debts must be paid in full whether it is a debt of blood or a debt of kindness. I owe your parents the latter and the Dark Lord the former. I will see to it that both debts are repaid in kind."

Harry didn't know what else to do except extend his hand. Ragnok laughed at the innocent gesture and took it. "Thank you, Ragnok."

"No need, Mister Potter. As the leader of the goblin nation, I hereby declare that you have our unconditional aid any time you have need of it."

* * *

 

Fleur caught up to him just as he was leaving Gringotts. "Harry, I would like to know where you want to conduct your lessons. It is not safe for you to keep appearing at Gringotts."

"Uh, I don't have anywhere else… unless you want to come to house where I live." Harry suggested with a shrug. Fleur raised an eyebrow, and the young wizard realized how his words could be taken the wrong way. "Not that I'm propositioning you or anything, it's just that my relatives aren't exactly… _tolerant_ when it comes to magic."

"Okay, how about you bring me there now so I know where it is. The portkey Ragnok gave you should bring you back. Oh, and he also asked me to inform you that you may use it to return should you have anything you need from him."

Harry nodded as he took out the portkey and held it out for Fleur as he activated it and had them back in Privet Drive in an instant. She landed gracefully, as usual, while he landed much less so. She laughed at the sight. "The youngest Seeker Hogwarts has seen in a century cannot keep his balance a simple Portkey teleportation... Impressive.  
"

"My body's a lot sharper when it's in danger of a variety of horrible fates. Unless someone placed a pike in the room while I was gone I'd doubt my landings are going to be smoother." The witch accompanying him laughed at that, but stopped abruptly as she noticed the state of the room he was in.

"You live in this _dump_?"

"Yeah, used to be the cupboard under the stairs but they've let me in since I started at Hogwarts." Fleur didn't know which was worse, the fact that he had been forced to live in a cupboard or the nonchalant way Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, dismissed such abuse.

"Dumbledore sent you to live with these people all this time? That man is horrible!" Harry shrugged at Fleur's outburst and just sat on his bed. "It's supposedly the safest place for me since Voldemort can't touch me here."

"He is the least of your worries here! Those Muggles are obviously abusing you! If the wizarding world found out…"

"The Muggles would kill me for bringing _my lot_ into their affairs before anything happened to them." The same dismissive attitude was coming from Harry again. Fleur wondered if the Killing Curse he survived had somehow removed his self-preservation instincts.

"What is going on in here boy? What's with the bloody ruckus in the morning?" Vernon Dursley's voice called out irritably as the door opened and Fleur was standing rather exposed in the middle of Harry's room. "WHO THE RUDDY HELL IS THAT? YOU DARE BRING A WHORE HOME?"

Fleur's wand was out before Vernon could regret his words. Harry stepped between the two of them. "She is no whore, uncle Vernon, and I suggest you don't anger any more of _my lot_. Didn't work out the last time and she's no student either. She's just here because she's supposed to make sure I learn a few things over the summer."

"You are NOT practicing your magic in my house!" Vernon lashed out with a fist at Harry, sending the scrawny teenager flying to the floor at Fleur's feet. The French witch was about to jinx the horrid man when Harry pulled at her robes and gestured for her to stop.

"Don't. I'm used to this. Don't get yourself in trouble for my sake." Harry's pleading look only incensed the witch as she used her wand to slam the door unceremoniously in Vernon's face, locking and silencing it magically before tending to Harry's bleeding lip. A flick of her wand had the cut mended and Harry licked the remaining blood off his lips earning him a disgusted look from Fleur.

"You shouldn't be living with such horrible people, Harry." Fleur spoke with sympathy in her voice.

"Blame that on Dumbledore. Still, you know what would have happened if you cursed him, the Ministry would be here in seconds and we'd both be in trouble."

The door clicked as it was unlocked magically and Tonks appeared in his doorway. "What the hell happened, Harry? And who is this?" She had her wand raised at Fleur, who was holding Harry protectively and still had her wand in her hand.

"Tonks, this is Fleur. Fleur, this is Tonks. Now, I can't answer your question unless you promise me you won't go to Dumbledore about this. You'll understand why in a moment, but I need your word." Something in Harry's eyes told her she was not going to like anything she would hear within the next few minutes. Still, her curiosity got the better of her and she nodded silently. Harry promptly explained the events of the entire morning including Sirius' revelation that the Headmaster was meddling too deeply in Harry's life and in ways almost everyone with a say in his upbringing would have protested were they not dead. Tonks' usual shade of pink gave way to a very angry red as she listened.

"That old git _planned_ all this?"

"Take a look at this room, Harry tells me he's lived in worse conditions." Fleur added; her tone of voice equally angry though the volume did not match Tonks' yet.

"That's it. We need to do something about this. Firstly, this room needs to be fixed. I am not letting you live like this. Secondly, I am going to warn the Muggles not to try anything else or I will hex them myself. I'll explain everything to Hopkirk myself if I have to. Lastly, I won't be here all the time so it's best if Fleur remains here for now. I don't think I want to explain why the anti-Apparition wards flared or that it registered someone other than Dung or me."

Both Fleur and Harry nodded to Tonks' instructions, and she quickly promised to return after dealing with the Muggles. A flutter of wings announced Hedwig's arrival as she held out her leg to allow Harry to detach the letter tied to it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I believe this letter will find you after you received a note from Gringotts regarding Sirius' will. While I am sure you are eager to go, I am afraid I must ask you to stay at the Dursleys' for a while longer. It is not safe for you to be outdoors so soon after news of Voldemort's return has just gone public. I have arranged for you to visit Gringotts to hear the contents of the will for yourself at a later date. It will also be easier for you to simply pick up your school supplies and join the Weasleys and Miss Granger at Grimmauld Place thereafter. I am sure you will agree with me that a single trip will expose you to far less danger. It would also give you time to deal with the death of Sirius._

_Regards  
Dumbledore_

Harry crumpled the parchment and threw it aside. He wasn't going to bother with a reply after what he learned about the Headmaster. Fleur picked up on this as she got up to leave the room. "I'll be back in a while, Harry. Get some sleep."

* * *

 

Harry awoke to find Tonks and Fleur sitting on the floor beside his bed, talking in hushed tones. He rose up groggily and cleared his throat to get the attention of the two witches. Tonks spoke up first. "I added Fleur to the wards around the house so they won't trigger when she comes and goes. Still, I think she should remain inside here as much as possible since the sound is a tip-off to anyone watching outside. I'll be right in here during my shifts so unless I say otherwise, assume my absence means someone else is outside. I'll be keeping watch mostly during the day. I've also added some wards to prevent the sensors from detecting magic done here, but I'm pants at it so it's limited to this room. I'd advise you don't go out and test your luck with your uncle. I know you've been emancipated but it'll take a few days to clear through the paperwork thanks to Fudge's stupid cutbacks and I'll try to run interference to keep Dumbledore from finding out."

Before Harry could say anything, Fleur produced a book and a pack with some of her things. "I've also brought some of my things so I can stay here if I need to, and a book to help you with your Occlumency. I've also brought some food since the Muggles obviously aren't feeding you properly. Tonks, if you could bring some food back on your next shift?" The pink-haired Auror simply nodded and checked the time. "I've got fifteen minutes before Dung shows up. I better get outside and wait."

There was an obvious start of Vernon's ranting when Tonks showed up downstairs, but Harry heard her voice threatening the fat excuse for an uncle and a prompt sound of the slamming door.

Fleur settled Harry back on the bed and passed him the book. She explained the basics of Occlumency for the first half an hour, which made whatever Snape seemed to teach him look like rocket science as far he was concerned.

"It will be difficult at first but try to focus on a single calming image rather than keeping your mind blank." Harry closed his eyes and tried to do as Fleur instructed. "Control your breathing like I taught you… Yup, that's it… Now, if you feel yourself getting pulled or feeling drowsy like during the ritual don't resist it, just let it guide you. You'll find a sort of building or a place familiar to you, which you identify the most with. Explore it, but don't do anything just yet. Once you're done just focus on leaving the place and you should wake up. I'll wake you up in two hours if I don't get any response from you."

The young wizard just nodded and focused on the task he was given.

Sinking into the black void that was his mind, Harry found himself staring at the fog again, although this time there seemed to be trees around him. He took a few steps forward, and finding that the invisible barrier was no longer there, continued to approach the silhouette in the distance. There seemed to some resistance in the air impeding his movements, but it was probably the remainder of his feelings of grief. At least the young wizard now had the courage to face them and was determined to let them settle naturally over the next few days.

Once he was out of the fog, the sight that stood before him amazed him. Hogwarts stood before him, but it seemed as if the entire village of Hogsmeade had moved onto the grounds, surrounded by the Forbidden Forest. Harry explored the village slowly and then entered the castle, finding that the details of the entire area were shockingly accurate. He had hardly noticed the paintings hanging along the walls, but was certain that they were all probably at the same exact positions they'd be hanging at Hogwarts.

He walked into the Great Hall where ghosts of his schoolmates seemed to come and go. He watched with amusement as he witnessed younger versions of himself talking to Ron and Hermione, at different positions along the Gryffindor table. His mind had probably adopted Hogwarts' image since it was the closest thing that resembled home to him.

He explored the rest of the castle, starting with the Gryffindor common room and his usual classrooms, moving to the Headmaster's office and finally, the library. In the library he found most of the textbooks he had read in his lessons as well as several other books he had borrowed from Hermione for light reading. Taking one of the books, he was surprised to see that the text was accurate for every word, right up to the point where he had stopped reading the book. The pages were blank after that. Harry surmised this was the part of his memory that contained his school's knowledge, and wondered why it was so difficult to retain knowledge from his lessons if he had such a good memory. Walking away from the organized shelves, Harry saw the reason why. Most of his knowledge was strewn about the library, and he realized the shelves were not organized properly. It was properly why he'd find it hard to remember certain things from his subjects – they were lost under the rest of the information he had held in this library. Making a mental note to speak to Fleur about how organizing his thoughts in here would aid him, Harry was amused as a piece of parchment appeared on the desk in front of with the exact same thought expressed.

Confident that he was familiar enough with Hogsmeade and Hogwarts to be able to commit the layout to mind, Harry surfaced from his mind again and opened his eyes to see Fleur rummaging through several objects in a bag. She was bent over it and her shirt had ridden up her torso to reveal her flawless skin along her back and the top of the black lace panties she was wearing, hugging her slender waist. Harry's breath caught in his throat as his eyes were glued to the amazing sight in front of him.

Fleur turned around to see Harry was now conscious. He abruptly lowered his gaze to the floor to avoid the awkwardness that ensued. Fleur suppressed a giggle at the effect she had on the famous wizard. She had kept her Veela charm in check in order to not distract him but to know that he found her attractive nonetheless was quite flattering. She took out a book from her bag and passed it to Harry, who took it with his gaze still averted from her.

"Harry, you're not the first guy to stare at me like that. I am used to it, your embarrassment is actually making this more awkward than it needs to be." Fleur teased him a little as he sputtered a little at her frankness. The witch giggled, more audibly this time as she sat down beside him and gestured for him to open the book. The title read _Occlumency: Defending Your Mind_ and Harry turned to the second chapter which detailed what was left to do for his learning of Occlumency.

_It is often instinctive for one to guard one's secrets by securing the information behind a vault, or some part of the location seemingly secure or guarded. However, doing this often gives away where the information is hidden hence it is strongly recommended that one leaves false trails, or hide the information in plain sight entirely._

_The true objective, however, should not be to completely deny access to people trying to seek the information out, but rather delay the intruder and alert one to the intrusion. Awareness of an outsider in one's mind will very quickly force the foreign mind to be ejected out, at times with painful results. It is entirely possible to trap the invader altogether, but to do so is dangerous and not recommended as having a second consciousness within your own may often lead to mental health issues from the strain and attempts by the invader to force their way out. Once locked in, the invader's body will also enter a comatose state, and if not cared for will result in the permanency of keeping the invader's consciousness in one's mind. Such a technique also requires great skill and concentration on the defender's part and should not be attempted by beginners._

There were several illustrations that detailed the different examples of doing it, but Harry was already sorting through the options he had. Should someone probe his mind, they'd no doubt search Hogwarts first, beginning with the Gryffindor common room or the Headmaster's office. Harry made sure to avoid those locations, adding the Room of Requirement to the list as an afterthought. Then again, the list of hiding places would only be useful if he knew what he wanted to hide. Fleur left Harry to his own devices as she left the chamber briefly to gather more food and water. While their bodies did not require sustenance while in the room since they'd only be in there for a few hours in reality, learning Occlumency often tired the wizard out.

Fleur returned to see Harry back in a trance, a list of the information he was going to protect and the possible hiding places in front of him. Flipping the piece of parchment over, Fleur grinned as she felt nothing but calm from the younger wizard, and rested on a chair while waiting for him to rouse once again.

* * *

 

Back in his mind, Harry went about retrieving his memories, which appeared in different forms. He placed the prophecy in the chest that held the Snitch and Bludgers, and left it in the Quidditch store. Should an invader try to look for it, they'd have to contend with two Bludgers and try to locate the Snitch which would fly around the entire place keeping them from reaching it. As per the book's instructions, the opening of the chest would alert Harry to the presence of another person and force the invader out.

Harry moved from the Quidditch pitch to the second floor bathroom. If his mind had really taken the form of Hogwarts, then this was the best place to store the events of the past two days from Snape or Dumbledore's attempts. Finding the tap with the snake engraved, Harry whispered in Parseltongue and found an all too familiar memory as the Chamber of Secrets opened. He chuckled a bit at the double entendre of the name in this context as he placed memories within the chamber as basilisk fangs scattered on the floor beside the corpse of the great snake.

He saw the ghosts of Ginny and his twelve year old self fade into view, and was tempted to stop the memory before he realized he could possibly turn it to his advantage. As the ghost of the Basilisk appeared, he commanded it to rest at the entrance and attacked any who came through. While Dumbledore or Snape would not get past the entrance, Voldemort could and Harry did not feel like exposing any more of his secrets to the Dark wizard than he already had.

He then put in images from the Pensieve, recalled the emotions of Sirius' death and the first time he gazed into the Mirror of Erised. If strong feelings of love were what kept Voldemort from possessing him and invading his mind, than these images would no doubt force him to exit Harry's mind from the pain they would cause him.

The most sensitive information dealt with, Harry then headed into Hogsmeade where he hid the memories he simply wished to keep private in the homes around the area. He avoided the Three Broomsticks and Hog's Head entirely, knowing that'd be where anyone would look. Once the last of these memories were stored away, Harry exited his mindscape again.

The repeated exercise took its toll on him as Harry's head pounded painfully. Fleur came to his side with a cup of blue liquid. "This will help the headache." She explained and he downed it quickly. It tasted sweet and was pleasantly surprised that a potion did not taste foul or burn his throat for once.

"We can take a break for a while, you've earn the rest." Fleur said with a smile as she conjured a couch and both of them reclined on it. The pair conversed idly, sharing a few laughs while they simply let the conversation carry itself. Neither was aware of the other's growing feelings of attraction, or perhaps they had not even realized it themselves. Fleur regaled Harry with stories of her time in Beauxbatons, and life in France. He had to admit that while she had given everyone the impression that she was a typical French snob during the Triwizard tournament, the way she talked now and the things she did in France told another story.

Harry started on the adventures he had been involved in since he enrolled in Hogwarts, but he had barely gotten past the story of how he became the youngest Seeker in a century when they decided it was time to resume training.

* * *

 

Over the course of the day within Harry sorted through his mind, especially the library. The shelves were now arranged according to subject of study and importance, and when he surfaced after doing that found he was able to recall the information from his lessons with ease. Fleur was impressed by this move, as most wizards found it a bother to do so with their Occlumency. Most believed that the most important information was hardly buried so it normally ranked low on the priorities of those learning the art.

He had also erected a barrier around the place as a first line of defense. The process took several days as Harry needed to ensure there were no breaches in the shielding and to make it as strong as he could. The shield formed slowly first as a fine mist around his mindscape, then taking the form of a silver dome. It felt quite solid and Harry felt confident it would do the job of preventing entry to any Legilimens.

Tonks returned later that evening, Apparating right into Harry's room. She had brought back pizza from the restaurant nearby and both Harry and Fleur ate gratefully as the Dursleys had not sent any food through the cat flap throughout the day. Harry half-suspected Vernon realized there was still another witch in his room and if they had seen the food the Dursleys were giving him there'd be trouble; their pride would not allow them to serve him decent food either and there was no way in hell they'd provide any food for the French whore Harry had in his room.

"I've got a double shift till tomorrow evening. Dung made a swap to conclude some business last night." Tonks announced irritably. "Honestly, I don't get why Dumbledore lets him guard you. If the Death Eaters came here you'd effectively be alone."

Harry chose not to answer the question. "So, why don't you stay in here for the night?"

"That is a really bad way to proposition me, Harry." Tonks asked, giving him a mock glare.

"I meant that you don't have to stay out in the cold!" Harry protested which caused Tonks to burst into laughter.

"I was just teasing, Harry." She explained once she was done. "Still, your room is a dump. Even Lupin doesn't live in such a slum."

Fleur nodded vehemently beside Harry. "Tomorrow, we will fix this room while you practice your Occlumency."

Tonks enlarged the bed Harry slept in and cleaned it magically. "You staying over, Fleur?"

"I don't think I want to test his uncle's patience. I have lodging near Gringotts so I'll return there. I might stay over from time to time to help Harry."

Tonks opened her mouth to say something, but her grin told Harry she was trying to tease Fleur as well. "Thanks, Fleur." He managed to say before Tonks could make her comment, giving the Metamorphagus a very annoyed glare.

Fleur Apparated out of the room and the Auror in the room chuckled at Harry's intervention. "So, defending your girlfriend from the mean witch, are we?"

"It's not polite to tease my guests." Harry replied with a good-natured scowl. "I'd much rather have you as my girlfriend, Tonks." He managed return her jab while leaning in close to her. The older witch laughed and simply pushed him away.

"I am much too old for you, Harry. Whatever would Molly say?"

"I like older women. And I guess we'd have to keep it a secret from Mrs Weasley then, how fun!" Harry grinned at the joke and the pink-haired witch was laughing uncontrollably.

"I have created a monster."

"Actually, Sirius did most of the work." Harry replied. The mention of Sirius had taken the joy out of the room somewhat. Tonks noticed this and moved over closer to Harry.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, placing arm around his shoulder to console him.

"It… It's my fault he died. Why did I have to go to the Department of Mysteries? Why couldn't I have learned Occlumency properly?"

Tonks squeezed his shoulder and pulled him against her as the young boy cried. "It's not your fault, Harry. Nobody could learn Occlumency from the greasy git and it's Dumbledore's fault for making such an arrangement in the first place! You couldn't have known it was a trick, and I'm sure they'd make a real try at Sirius if you didn't show."

"But I couldn't stop Bellatrix from killing him! I should have helped."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is a crazy hag and you'd be mad to try and duel her. You and your friends were outnumbered by the Death Eaters. I'm sorry Sirius died, Harry, but it's not your fault. None of it is. You didn't ask for Voldemort to come after your parents, and you couldn't have controlled who lived or died at the Department either. You probably don't want to hear this either, Harry, but Sirius stopped and dropped his guard in a battle with Death Eaters... I'm not saying it was his fault he died, but none of it was your fault."

The younger wizard sobbed for a while before the mention of his parents reminded him about his mother's journal. He picked it up from the desk and sat on the bed. "It's funny." He chuckled weakly. "I never knew what they looked like till my first year, never had anything from them other than my dad's cloak and now there's a journal written by my mom and I'm too afraid to open it."

Tonks took a spot beside Harry. "Do you want me to give you a moment?"

"No, please stay. I think I might need the company once I start reading." He flipped open the cover and saw the first words in his mother's handwriting. _To Harry, though I hope he never has to read this, this details the last days of my life and my words to him._

He flipped the page even as tears began to well in his eyes again.

_Harry,_

_If you're reading this, then Voldemort managed to get past all the protection we had. It also means that your father and I are dead but you are very much alive. I know this journal can't replace having us back, but it'll have to do. I keep wondering if you'd have grown up with Voldemort still in power, or if you'd have a peaceful life. I hope it's the latter._

_Dumbledore told us the prophecy yesterday. Maybe from the moment he told us we already knew we weren't going to survive to the end of this war. Still, I see no point living in fear even if death comes for you. Remember that, Harry. There are worse fates than death. Your father and I died to protect you and that's more than any parent could ask for in their last moments. Know that if Voldemort is indeed still alive and coming for you, then you have nothing to fear when you face him. If you lose, you'll get to see us again, if you don't, it means his power will be broken._

_We've faced him before, and I know he's terrifying in person, Harry, but he's still human. Well, at least, some part of him is still mortal. I'm not sure anyone would call him human at this point. If he's still alive when you read this, then we hope you're ready for the task you have left to do. Regardless of the outcome, Harry, your father and I are proud of you. I'm sure you've grown into a fine young man with friends like Sirius and Remus. I do hope you're not getting into as much trouble as they did at school, though. I do hope you live each moment like your last and don't spend a single moment wishing things were different. Sometimes people are thrown in adversity for a reason._

_I've left in this journal details of some of my research and a very long list of spells your father learned in his time dueling Death Eaters. Some of them are quite… gruesome is the best word I guess, to say the least, but we'll be damned if we do anything less than whatever we can to prepare you for what you have to do. Be strong, Harry, not just for yourself but for those around you. I can't count the number of times we've had close shaves against Death Eaters. I will say that we came out on top each time because when you fight to protect those closest to you, when you're ready to give up your life for another, you have a weapon more powerful than any Dark curse the Death Eaters can throw at you._

_Give Sirius and Remus our love, Harry._

_Stay strong._

_Never give in, never give up._

_Love  
Lily_

Harry wiped his eyes. His parents had thought things through, accepted the fact that they might never live to see their son grow up and planned for it as well. He had always held great respect for the pair of them, who died to buy his life, but to think that they were doing it even now from beyond the grave was too much for Harry. Tonks watched him tremble with emotion and offered a quiet line of encouragement."They loved you, Harry. Even when their lives were threatened they only thought about you. I'm sure Sirius was the same. Live in honor of their memory."

She placed a hand on his back and started rubbing in circles, not really sure what to do to comfort Harry.

* * *

 

**_Department of Mysteries, Hidden Chamber_ **

Two men looked at the orb that was levitating in front of them. Images were flashing in the orb, of a few teenagers fighting against masked people in black cloaks. They watched as the two sides clashed and dueled.

"Impressive. All of them still students but holding their own against Death Eaters, and outnumbered at that."

"What's more impressive is the boy who taught them all that. Pity he had to watch his godfather die."

"I heard he survived another encounter with Riddle."

"That he did, and more. They didn't get their hands on the prophecy. He smashed it before they could take it from them."

"Dumbledore witnessed the prophecy, didn't he? He's probably told the boy already."

"I hope so. I'd hate to have to tell him myself. The Headmaster is a right git when it comes to important things like that." The masked man produced a piece of parchment at that. "Here's what we have on the Potter boy. First year: got past a whole bunch of nasty defenses and stopped You-Know-Who from getting the Philosopher's Stone. Second year, found the Chamber of Secrets and killed a basilisk. Third year, freed Sirius Black from Fudge's idiocy. Fourth year, competed in the Triwizard, bested a dragon with a Summoned broom, witnessed the Dark Tosser return, dueled him and returned alive with the body of Cedric Diggory, along with winning the Triwizard Tournament against competitors three years older than he was. Given, Crouch Junior messed around a little, but still impressive. Fifth year, broke in here, fought a bunch of Death Eaters outnumbered, then fought off the Great Git and came out alive."

"Why, I think you've taken a liking to the boy."

"You find me another teenage boy who has done all these things before he graduated from Hogwarts."

"Point taken."

A third man stepped into the room at this point. "He snuck off to Gringotts. Seems his godfather arranged private reading for him and warned him about Dumbledore. He returned with Fleur Delacour, former competitor in the Triwizard and Curse Breaker at Gringotts. My guess is the Headmaster put magic blocks on him and he had them removed. They had a brief confrontation with the Muggle who lives there and Nymphadora Tonks showed up. He spent the better part of the day practicing Occlumency. Delacour left in the evening but Tonks is still there. Last I saw was that they were having a private moment. The kid's pretty torn up about what happened to Black. He was reading a journal too. I believe his mom left that to him."

The three men gathered were silent for a moment before the first spoke up again. "We'll watch how things go for a few more days. Tonks' file has been on my desk before, only thing she got going against her is her clumsiness. If she hadn't joined the Order I would have had her join us."

"Delacour?"

"She's French. You know the type – all finesse and not ready to get their hands dirty. Her work's as a Curse Breaker seems fine so far, but it's only been a year. I suppose we could give her shot. If the accounts of the Triwizard are anything to go by, she's not as much a fighter as the other two."

"Well, give her a shot anyway. The boy needs people he can trust and already knows. We'll see how it goes at the end of the week."


End file.
